The present invention relates to a new and distinctive cultivar of Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens Hawkeri, commercially known as New Guinea Impatiens, and known by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Ovation Orchid Starxe2x80x99. Ovation Orchid Star was developed in a controlled breeding program by crossing Mikkelsen Seedling No. 94-604-1 (seed parent) with Mikkelsen Seedling No. 95-377-1 (pollen parent). The seed parent and the pollen parent are each a proprietary breeding line which have not been sold or made publicly available in this country.
Asexual reproduction carried out by the inventor in Lompoc, Calif. by terminal or stem cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stabilized and are reproduced true to type in successive propagations.
The following combination of characteristics distinguishes the new Impatiens from both its parent varieties and other cultivated Impatiens of this type known and used in the floriculture industry:
1. Ovation Orchid Star has bicolored flowers with a deep Purple-Violet Group 80A while Guadeloupe (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,001) and Harmony Purple-Eyed (unpatented) both have Purple-Violet Group 82C colored flowers with Ovation Orchid Star having the most distinct bicolor area in the petals of Red-Purple Group 74C.
2. Ovation Orchid Star has a mounded growth habit whereas, Guadeloupe and Harmony Purple-Eyed are more upright.
3. Ovation Orchid Star is taller than Guadeloupe and similar in height to Harmony Purple-Eyed.
4. Ovation Orchid Star has dark green leaves with a heavy red-purple cast, while Guadeloupe and Harmony Purple-Eyed have dark green leaves with no red-purple cast.
5. The leaves of Ovation Orchid Star have a Greyed-Purple Group 187A underside color while Guadeloupe and Harmony Purple-Eyed have a red-purple cast underside leaf color.
6. Ovation Orchid Star has shorter leaves (8 to 9 cm) than Guadeloupe (9 to 10 cm) and has wider leaves (3.5 to 4.0 cm) than Harmony Purple-Eyed (2.5 to 3.0 cm).
7. Ovation Orchid Star has more anthocyanin in the stem than Guadeloupe and Harmony Purple-Eyed.